


4819 CHERRY

by littlecreature



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: ??? - Freeform, AU, Canon Divergent AU, F/M, Max and Eleven friendship, Period Typical Attitudes, Slice of Life, billy is ..... still an absolute jerk btw, i gave her a backstory, say hi to tammy y’all, season 3 just didn’t happen, sleepover, there will be more about that ship, this just isn’t focused on him, welp this evolved as I was proofreading it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:35:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24137464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlecreature/pseuds/littlecreature
Summary: El doesn’t like staying at Max’s. │The summer of 1985 if things were normal.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Tammy Thompson
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	4819 CHERRY

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, I’ve been debating posting this for so long. I don’t know why I took such an active interest in Tammy’s character — && given that I’m not even posting the most interesting part of her backstory that I’ve created, and this isn’t even being told from her point of view, I can only hope that you guys want to see more of her. for a visual for Tammy, I've face-claimed Madchen Amick as Shelly Johnson in Twin Peaks!

El doesn’t like hanging out at Max’s house. Her dad (step - dad ? she’s not really sure how it all works) is loud and stomps when he walks and her mom is overbearingly anxious; poking her head into Max’s room to check on them constantly - occasionally asking if they need anything, juice, snacks? Max just pats her backpack that's stuffed to the brim with soda and candy (courtesy of sparse change and a five finger discount when needed). 

It’s as if she doesn’t trust them. As if they’re doing something suspicious other than reading comics and chowing down on candy. Occasionally trying to peek into the Upside Down; spying on the male member’s of the party - and if that's not fun, they're quick to find some Madonna on the radio instead. 

Then there’s Billy. Max’s older brother. A veritable brute of a boy, with little regard (wait , no) regard for anyone around him. She’s surprised to find out that he actually has a steady girlfriend. Though, this surprise is mostly influenced by Max’s ranting. On how Billy probably doesn’t treat her right and that she’s a stupid airhead for staying with him! El tended to agree that the Thompson girl (she hadn’t caught her first name) could be making better life choices, because if Max's sighs and cherry-tinged cheeks were anything to go by - the girl didn't seem to stand a chance of a relationship that didn't end in tears. 

Other than that - El doesn’t really have an opinion on him, other than he is loud and mean, and she hates it when he scares Max. 

She doesn’t meet the girlfriend until the early October of ‘85. She’s not that tall looking, rather stern faced, (or maybe it's worry - she's still not that great at figuring out expressions when it's not her friends) but she’s resting her head against Billy’s chest — asleep, splayed out on the sofa as her boyfriend watches TV, at a (surprisingly) considerately low volume. Max hustles them past the door, biting her lip. 

“She’s having a baby,” Max tells her astutely as they get settled in her bedroom, Eleven already primed for a night of comic and candy devouring. She looks at Max - clearly unaware of the gossip teen pregnancy tended to generate - if gossip was even on Eleven's radar in the first place. 

“Why? Who’s?”

“Billy’s,” the redhead answers with an eye-roll, busying herself in her stack of comic books, handing over ones El wanted to continue or start anew. “Because they’re both stupid. I heard them arguing a few weeks ago when we all found out. He didn’t use protection and she missed her pill - _allegedly_. Neil was furious with him. And her. Called her a whore for trapping his son, and called Billy a pussy if he didn’t step up and be a man.” 

Max quotes the fight verbatim for what she’d heard. Tammy had cried and Billy had mumbled something back at Neil, Max hadn't really heard it - but she figured that it must be the closest she would ever get to Billy being caring, or whatever. Especially since Tammy was now staying with them for the foreseeable future - another arrangement the redhead wasn't particularly thrilled about; their house was crowded enough! She barely got enough sleep as it was, but now she had to put up with Tammy Thompson whining on in the background that her back hurt or whatever the shit it is that pregnant women moan about - and Max was pretty sure Tammy had her own house to go back too. She had expected Neil to lunge at Billy about whatever he said in response (because knowing Billy, it was either something stupid, aggressive or inflammatory. Or all three, if he was going for a record) and beat him senseless - it wouldn't be the first time. He didn’t. Shook his head and told Billy that it was laughable. Both eighteen with dead-end jobs and no hope of a future. Don’t expect him to play granddad. 

“Pill?”

“Yeah, it stops you getting knocked up. You have to take it, like everyday.” Max settles herself down on the bed; not really interested in continuing the conversation on her future step - niece or nephew - nor did she want to bother educating El on the intricacies of safe sex - _hadn't she read the copy of her mom's Cosmo she had loaned her?_ . She doesn’t care. Why should she? He’d been nothing but heinous to her ever since they had met. Why should she give two shits about Billy’s mistake? 

“But—" 

“El, I don’t really want to talk about it, okay? It’s annoying enough to hear them talk about their grand plans to escape back to Cali. Can’t we just read? Or something?” 

“... Yeah.” 

The rest of the night is normal. The next morning, however, is a weird sense of peaceful that El didn’t believe existed in the Mayfield-Hargrove household. The parents went off to their respective jobs; informing each of their children that they would both be away for the weekend and not stay out of trouble. El wasn’t sure what sibling it was directed towards. Both, she figures. 

She meets the girlfriend in the kitchen ; the elder brunette clutching a class of water and thumbing through a clearly loved book. 

“Hi.”

The older girl looks up, having not noticed Eleven pad into the kitchen. She noticed dark circles under her eyes. It is still early — Max and Billy has retreated to their own rooms after Neil and Susan has laid out their expectations, Max curling back in beside El. Kind of like a kitten. She was still asleep. 

“Hey,” She offers the greeting back, shutting the book. “I’m Tammy — you’re Max’s friend, right?” 

“Yeah.” 

“𝘾𝙤𝙤𝙡.“ 

Tammy says it in a very fake way — as if she was talking to a little kid. El supposed that she was a little kid to her. She heads over to the kitchen sink — grabbing a glass on her way there. Water seemed like a good idea. Max has mentioned that Tammy was 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣. But maybe that was just Max. 

“Max said you’re having a baby?” She asks; breaking the silence once again. It probably didn’t need to be broken. The kitchen is kind of cold. 

“Yeah, could you tell?” 

“... No?” 

“I’m kidding,” Tammy gives her a smile — it’s weird, intimidating — but also nice. “I’m lucky, lots of women put on a shit ton of weight when they’re knocked up. Sorry. Shouldn’t have cursed.” 

“It’s okay.” 

“This house must seem pretty busy, right?” 

“Yeah,” El nods, taking a drink. It’s cool, quenches the sore throat the sticky air had been coddling. “It’s just me and my dad at home.” 

Not really a 𝙡𝙞𝙚. Hopper was her dad. Well, that’s what the new papers said. And he’s taken her to the high school to get her signed up for classes, along with Mike and Max and the rest of the party. 

She thinks freshman year will be fun. 

“𝙇𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙮,“ Tammy groans, finishing her own water — before taking the glass to the sink, gently brushing past Eleven. 𝙈𝙖𝙭 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙬𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧. “I have four siblings. Actually, I think Niklas will be in your class. Max mentioned that you’re both going to the high school.” 

“Niklas?”

“My middle brother.” 

“Oh.” 

They fall into silence again. Tammy tugs her cardigan tighter around her shoulders — the air conditioning is clearly working over time, and she's definitely not thinking of the three little brother's she's not been allowed to see in weeks. Her sister had just about spat in her face when she'd turned up to get the last of the clothes that fit her (and the money she kept squished between her mattress and bedframe). She gets up, ready to head back to Billy’s room - because that's the only place in the house she feels vaguely at peace, or at least wanted. El doesn’t see the appeal. It’s dark and smells like 𝙗𝙤𝙮. And not in the way Mike does. 

“Is high-school fun?” 

Tammy turns back, halfway out the kitchen. “Yeah, it can be. It’s what you make of it .. study, join a club? 𝘿𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙩." It’s a half joke, half dire warning. Tammy hadn’t had many thoughts about what she was going to do after high school — work, follow her sister to college? Go back 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚? ( a nine hour flight ) —— whatever half-baked idea she had, had been shattered pretty quickly. She didn’t mind so much anymore. There was always California and whatever fresh hell that would bring with a newborn. 

“Okay.” 

Tammy smiles again, but — its a little sadder. She disappears back into the midst of the Hargrove house, and if El listens closely, she can hear the springs on Billy’s bed creak, and some shuffling. Rearranging, so Tammy can be comfortable. 

But she doesn’t listen close enough, so she doesn’t know that. 

El rifles through one of the cupboards, finding a box of eggos, and slides a few of them on to a plate, carrying it to Max’s room. She kicks the door shut, clambering on to the bed. Sets the plate down, grabs an ego with one hand and pokes Max awake with the other. 

“𝙃𝙝𝙝.. 𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜?" 

“Yeah.” 

“𝘽𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙛𝙖𝙨𝙩?“ 

Max sits up, rubbing sleep from her eyes, before she swipes an eggo from the plate. Chewing slowly, appreciatively. 

“Can we try skateboarding again today?” 

“𝙔𝙚𝙖𝙝,“ Max nods, slowly waking up as she savours the waffle, momentarily wishing there was cream or something to put on top.

Summers running out a little too fast, she thinks. If she can’t master a skateboard by the time fall rolls around, she’s considering it a failure. Or, she would try riding a bike instead; she hopes there would be less scraped knees involved. 

“Sooooo ... You’re going to be an auntie?” 

“𝙎𝙝𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙥!"

She figures hanging around Max's for the rest of the summer won't be that bad - and it isn't. She ends up there most weekends, especially when Neil and Susan are out of the house - and the long days are spent relaxing in the sun or fooling around, messing with the rest of the party. She speaks to Tammy occasionally, but it's evident the heat has taken its toll on her, and she doesn't see her much.

Then by the time fall rolls around, the two older teens have disappeared. Max is staying with Eleven this time, because Neil is furious and Susan is oddly mopey, and Max is on the verge of throwing a party, because Billy isn't around to terrorise her anymore. " _I figured they would have stayed until they had the baby - but nope, they've taken their shit, and gone. In the camaro, no less!_ " There's a lilt to her voice - and El doesn't actually know how to feel about it - she's not sure if she likes this side of Max much anymore, but she doesn't say anything - she had remembered Mike saying something that it wasn't their family, so they shouldn't get involved with it - that, and Mike had heard enough of it in his own home. Tammy had babysat Holly once or twice before, and Karen had been scandalised that a girl like that had babysat her perfect little angel.

In the fall semester of her freshman year at Hawkins high, she's sat next to Niklas Thompson in their math class - and introduces herself as Jane. He doesn't speak to her, so she shrugs it off - it had taken her nearly the whole period to figure out why she knew his name in the first place. He's a nerd too, but not like the rest of the party. He's good at maths, so much so that she feels dumber than ever just by sitting next to him - she notices it in other classes, his hand always in the air. She doesn't ask about his sister.

Suddenly, she misses summer. Teenage life was becoming far too complicated, and she barely gotten out the gate. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Maybe leave a comment? Like I said, I've been debating on putting this up for a long time, and most of that time was working out who I paired Tammy with - I tried piecing her relationship together with both Robin and Steve as potentials, but neither jelled for how I imagined her - reluctantly, I chose Billy as a last resort, and everything just seemed to flow from there, so here we are!


End file.
